Consumer Warning: Avoid Mercury Bulbs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs have been touted as innovative energy savers and are being heavily marketed to consumers. You can pick out these bulbs right away by their distinctive squiggly shape. But are they safe?  “Not when they break because they are full of toxic mercury," said Kathi Bratberg, RN, MS Holistic Nutrition at Alternatives. Other experts agree.  

“As long as the mercury is contained in the bulb, CFLs are perfectly safe. But eventually, any bulbs — even CFLs — break or burn out, and most consumers simply throw them out in the trash," said Ellen Silbergeld, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins University and editor of the journal Environmental Research. This is an enormous amount of mercury that’s going to enter the waste stream at present with no preparation for it,” she said http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23694819/.

"The best way to dispose of these light bulbs is to take them back to the point of origin," says Bratberg. “Many retailers will take back these bulbs after they have burned out for proper disposal. Before you buy a CFL, make sure the retailer has a program for proper disposal. You don’t want to break one in your home nor do you want these bulbs going into a landfill.”

Mercury exists in three chemical forms, each of which has specific effects on human health, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm.

Those include:

· Methylmercury

· Elemental mercury

· Other mercury compounds (inorganic and organic) 

Elemental (metallic) mercury primarily causes health effects when it is breathed as a vapor where it can be absorbed through the lungs. These exposures can occur when elemental mercury is spilled or products that contain elemental mercury break and expose mercury to the air, particularly in warm or poorly-ventilated indoor spaces. Symptoms of this type of exposure can include tremors; emotional changes (e.g., mood swings, irritability, nervousness, excessive shyness); insomnia; neuromuscular changes (such as weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching); headaches; disturbances in sensations; changes in nerve responses; performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. At higher exposures there may be kidney effects, respiratory failure and death.

“In addition to the risks of mercury poisoning, there is also concern that actual usage of these bulbs may be unsafe as well,” Bratberg noted. “These bulbs have been in implicated in migraines and epileptic seizures, and have been suspected in contributing to health problems of those who have lupus and certain light sensitivities.”

For more information, link to http://www.thereader.com/heartlandhealing.php?subaction=showfull&id=1266525364&archive=&start_from=&ucat=18& or contact Alternatives at 827-9450.

Precision Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) an Effective Way to Treat Fine Lines and Scars

Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) is one successful and popular way that Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, has been improving the appearance of women throughout the Omaha area for the past several months. Now the clinic is offering a variation on this innovative procedure called Precision CIT, a process that targets fine lines or wrinkles and scars even more effectively and painlessly. 

The typical CIT procedure uses a sterile roller comprised of a series of fine needles, which penetrate directly into the skin’s dermis. Each of these “micro injuries” stimulates the surrounding tissue to produce new collagen and elastin with minimal harm to the skin's protective barrier. Precision CIT employs a state-of-the-art digital permanent make-up pen without ink to work those fine lines and stimulate collagen production in areas that can be even harder to reach. The sensation is of tickling and the procedure is relatively pain-free, allowing more sensitive ares to be worked on. “With Precision CIT, I can more effectively and comfortably work a scar or lines around the eyes and lips,” said Donette Smith, L.M.T., Alternatives Aesthetician. “The skin regenerates and looks normal and healthy.”

If you’re like most women looking for a way to improve your skin and appearance, the new non-surgical and affordable procedures on the market today are welcome options. Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, is the first clinic in Omaha to offer Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT). For more information, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Summer Time is Tick Time; Be On Guard for Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a condition that is often misunderstood and not taken as seriously as it should, according to Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder. “That’s because a simple bite from an infected tick could turn into a chronic condition that becomes difficult to treat,” she said. About 20,000 Americans are reported to have Lyme disease each year, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America http://www.idsociety.org/lymediseasefacts.htm. "What's more, many look for the tell-tale signs of rash to signal an infection when, in fact, rash only presents in a small percentage of patients with Lyme disease," Dr. Ryan said.

The Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/) reports that Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease, the CDC reports. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

“These recommendations are good, but don’t go far enough in helping to protect the public,” Dr. Ryan noted. “There are a number of herbs that can help safeguard people and even animals from the risks of Lyme disease. It’s worth keeping these prophylactics stocked in the medicine cabinet so that you can administer them immediately after you have removed ticks from yourself, a family member or a pet. If you or someone in your family gets a rash after being bitten by a tick, it’s imperative that you see a doctor right away to begin a regimen of antibiotics.”

Safeguarding against this disease is imperative, Dr. Ryan noted. “Although the medical community has been reluctant to give credence to a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, they do recognize that some patients continue to have problems even after treatment. Ongoing symptoms have included fatigue, body aches, joint aches, brain fog, arthritis, headaches and a general malaise that oftentimes does not show up in bloodwork,” Dr. Ryan said. “Also, people cannot count on a rash as a warning sign of Lyme disease. Only about 20 percent of those with Lyme disease even get a rash; the other 80 percent sometimes don’t even know they’ve been bitten.” 

Here’s what the Infectious Diseases Society of America says about an estimated 5 percent of the population that continues to have problems after being treated for Lyme disease.

“In rare cases, people who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and properly treated have lingering symptoms, typically generalized pain, joint pain and fatigue. These symptoms have been interpreted by some to suggest the presence of chronic Borrelia burgdorferi infection.”http://www.idsociety.org/lymediseasefacts.htm.

“It’s obvious that there is a lot of controversy about Lyme disease,” Dr. Ryan said. “But why not be safe than sorry? Taking protective action can help prevent problems that will not only put a damper on summertime fun but could cause a lifetime of heartache.”

For more information about the herbs used to treat Lyme disease, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Healthy Summer Eating Focuses the Ancient Ideas That Lead to Heart Health

Much of the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine focuses on the belief that the life and activity of individual human beings have an intimate relationship with the environment on all levels. Our bodies change like the seasons and rely on specific nutrients to thrive in each cycle of our lives. 

Summertime is the season of heart health when consumers have more access to fresh-grown fruits and vegetables. “To keep our hearts healthy we should enjoy nature’s bounty,” said Kathi Bratberg, RN, B.S. Holistic Nutrition at Alternatives. “Fruits and vegetables feature valuable anti-oxidants that can reduce inflammation, which is one important way to maintain healthy cholesterol and heart. Add whole grains, which have the fiber to help clear out toxins in the gut, and good fats, which help suppress appetite, and you have the start to a great recipe for heart health.”

An understanding of fat is an important part of any healthy nutrition season. Much of this knowledge focuses on the differences between trans fat and saturated fat. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/Trifold-TransFats2009.pdf trans fats are used in most processed foods such as commercial cakes, pies, cookies, crackers, bread, chips, pretzels, snack foods and salad dressings. The only way to avoid these is to prepare your own food with fresh ingredients. Use traditional fats that include saturated fats such as butter, lard, palm oil and coconut oil for cooking and baking, and olive oil for salad dressings, advises Bratberg. Trans fats interfere with immune function while saturate fats enhance immune function, the Weston A. Price Foundation notes. Trans fats contribute to weight gain, while some types of saturated fats boost metabolism and help with weight loss. Trans fats are associated with increased cancer and decreased fertility. Sources of saturated fat such as butter and meat fats contain many nutrients that fight against cancer and promote fertility, the Weston A. Price Foundation advises.

A healthy diet is all about balance and the foods of summertime can help you strive for that perfect mix. Combined with an understanding of healthy fat, nutritious eating has never been an easier goal to achieve.

Is Cholesterol Getting a Bad Rap?

Just a mention of the word cholesterol is enough to send shivers of fear and trepidation through the most health conscious American. After all, traditional medicine has left us with the notion that a cholesterol reading over 200 is a virtual death sentence. But then you read about the Greek Island of Crete where the average cholesterol is well over 200 and heart disease is barely a blip on the radar screen. It just doesn’t add up.

Cholesterol is actually the great healer and high cholesterol a sign that something in the body could be amiss, said Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder. “The liver produces cholesterol, and it is present in nearly all parts of the body, including the brain. Enzymes convert cholesterol to vitamin D and hormones that support virtually all body functions. Levels fluctuate in response to toxins, stress and even the seasons," she said.

The body steps up to the plate to make cholesterol when healing is needed. “Cholesterol is an innocent bystander to the problems going on in the body, not the cause of them,” Dr. Ryan noted. “For example, when the liver becomes overwhelmed with chemicals it can start to produce more cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat and thus susceptible to being damaged by free radicals and toxins. Damaged cholesterol becomes a free radical that can cause inflammation."

This domino effect is often blamed on high cholesterol when, in reality, cholesterol is just trying to do its job to heal the body. So what’s the answer when you’re faced with high cholesterol results? 

The first step is to understand what is actually going on in the body. “Research shows that the standard blood tests most doctors use are outdated,” Dr. Ryan said. “New tests on the market, including the Lipoprotein Particle Profile (LPP), provide a clearer picture of what’s happening. This test, which is available at Alternatives, analyzes the size of the LDL cholesterol particles. Higher numbers of small LDL particles, for instance, presents patients with a greater risk of health problems.”

These more comprehensive tests now on the market are able to help doctors target problems and develop specific treatment plans, Dr. Ryan said. So what should patients who are concerned about their cholesterol do? “For otherwise heart healthy patients with elevated cholesterol, I don’t prescribe statin drugs, which are so popular on the market today. And I am not alone in my thinking. More doctors and researchers are questioning the benefits and examining the risks of prescribing statin drugs except among high-risk heart patients,” Dr. Ryan said. (See Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 17, 2008)
 

“After a complete health analysis, the solution for many of my patients has been lifestyle changes, diet modifications including more fiber and “good fat” and supplements that serve as anti-oxidants in the body such as Vitamin D and fish oil. Don’t forget exercise and plenty of sleep.”

The road to good heart health leads back to the concept of holistic medicine, Dr. Ryan said. “If you’ve helped one part of the body you’ve helped five other areas. If you work on improving cholesterol you’ve helped your heart as well as your brain. That’s the beauty of integrative medicine. When you help one area you’re helping the entire system.”

For additional resources about cholesterol, visit the Web site of Dr. Stephen Sinatra at http://www.drsinatra.com/. For more information including an opportunity to schedule a heart healthy examination, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450.

Neurotherapy Research Stuns Local Film Maker

As a long-time documentary film maker, Stacy Heatherly approached her current project about neurotherapy like the many others that she had produced before: She was looking for two sides to the story.

First, she interviewed a doctor in Arizona who treats patients for such conditions as autism, Attention Deficient Disorder and depression by using a form of neurotherapy. Heatherly, of Omaha, interviewed 15 patients selected at random and with their permission. What she discovered next stunned her. “During the interviews, not one of those 15 patients said that neurotherapy hadn’t worked for them,” she noted. “For most, this treatment had been their last hope. One of the most powerful stories was that of an autistic child who had refused to initiate conversations. Neurotherapy treatments changed all of that.”

Heatherly became interested in neurotherapy after helping a family member suffering from depression and anxiety find an alternative treatment to traditional medicine. She was intrigued enough to turn it into a film project.

The practice of neurotherapy features several different protocols including neurofeedback, a treatment method practiced at Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health. Alternatives’ NeuroIntegration System strives to normalize and manage the complex and varied waves in an individual’s brain when they go awry.

The system works by incorporating photic stimulation and music to help normalize brain activity. “Since the procedure was introduced at Alternatives, a number of patients, in particular children, have been able to decrease ADHD medication, lessen anxiety, improve insomnia and even better their grades,” noted Dr. Patricia Ryan, Alternatives’ founder. A German study, published last year, added scientific credibility to these results when it found that neurofeedback improved attention and reduced impulsivity and hyperactivity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19712709. 

Heatherly, who has taken a comprehensive look at the several different types of neurotheraphy for her film Rewired, has seen the same impressive results. “One of the things I discovered in my research, really the wave of the future, is this idea of integrated, comprehensive medicine. And that’s what I’ve seen Dr. Ryan practice. It’s the idea of treating the individual as a whole.”

Her film features two cases studies, one of an individual with a traumatic brain injury and another of a child with learning disabilities. In addition to neurofeedback, Heatherly features in her film another type of neurotherapy called QEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram). This procedure is often referred to as brain mapping, which also is offered at Alternatives. Brain data is collected and processed, and a detailed analysis is generated that is used to develop very specific and targeted protocols for patients. "We use brain mapping to gather data on multiple states of brain activity, during both active and relaxed states," according to Jamie Moore, RN and Neurotherapist at Alternatives. A study of QEEG revealed that in five cases of patients suffering from brain injuries or conditions, memory improvements ranged from 68 percent to 181 percent http://chp-neurotherapy.com/pdfs/JHTR15-6-07001-013.pdf.

Production work will soon wrap on Rewired; the film will be made available for a public screening as well as licensed and offered for sale to PBS and other network television stations. Neurotherapy is just one of many of the topics that this enterprising filmmaker has been involved with through her company Digg Site Productions www.thediggsite.org.

Heatherly began the nonprofit organization after reading about a similar program in New York, which offers accreditation to high school students who write and produce films. Purchasing and adapting the curriculum to fit The Digg Site Productions model, the Board of Directors created a summer workshop that allows students the opportunity to earn credits toward graduation. The students learn how to create a documentary film, showcase that 15-minute film at a film festival where they can win awards such as scholarships toward college and return after graduation to intern on a full-length documentary.

All profits from the documentary films produced and directed by The Digg Site Production go back into the company to fulfill its mission as a self-sustaining nonprofit. Heatherly has a film career spanning 20 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Minor in Psychology from Bellevue University.